Liquid cooling means



April 16, 1957 B M, BURKHEAD ET AL 2,788,642

LIQUID COOLING MEANS Filed July 11, 1955 l INVENTS Bessie MBUrKcead Jose ph R. Bmmlhead. M 2,2m I

ATTORNEY United States Patent F LIQUID COOLING MEANS Bessie M. Burkhead and Joseph R. Burkhead, Harrodsburg, Ky.

Application July 11, 1955, Serial No. 520,976

1 Claim. (Cl. 62-89) This invention relates to a cooling device for liquids, and it particularly relates to a cooling device for installation in conventional refrigerators.

The use of iced drinks, both water and other liquids, is enjoying ever-increasing popularity, both in summer and winter. Even water which is served at the table during meals is generally iced either through exposure to conling temperatures in a refrigerator or by inserting ice cubes.

This great demand for iced drinks means that it is necessary to either take up an inordinately large amount of refrigerator space to hold the liquids for cooling, or to constantly bother with the extraction of ice cubes and repeated fillings of the ice cube tray. Since it takes, sometimes, several hours to renew the ice cube supply in the tray, one is limited as to the number of cubes available at any one time. Furthermore, when using ice cubes, especially in drinks other than water, the ice cubes melt and dilute the liquid to the point where it becomes tasteless. In addition, if the ice cube trays are made of metal, the cubes tend to give off a metallic taste; whereas, When rubber or plastic material is used in the tray construction, the cubes tend to give off a taste which is peculiar to that material.

In either case, whether the liquid is stored for cooling in the refrigerator or ice cubes are used, it is necessary to constantly open and close the refrigerator in order to take out either the liquid or the cubes. This results in undue waste of the cold air from the interior of the refrigerator, with its consequent lessening of eiciency and increase of expense.

It is one object of the present invention to overcome the above and other disadvantages by providing a liquid cooling system for refrigerators which obviates the necessity for using ice cubes, and which does not take up any otherwise-needed refrigerator storage space.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a liquid cooling apparatus which is adapted to be used with any standard refrigerator.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved liquid cooling system, of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly efficient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of an ordinary type refrigerator, with the door thereof open to show the installation of apparatus embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, perspective rear view of a refrigerator, showing an alternative embodiment of the inventon.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal, cross-sectional view of a portion of the apparatus embodying the present invention.

lce

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the device of Fig. 3. Referring now in greater detail to the drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there'` is shown, in Fig. l, a refrigerator `10 having side walls"` 12, a top wall 14,`rear wall 16, a bottom wall 17, and a front wall 18 having an opening 20Jclosednby a hinged door 22.

Within the refrigerator 10 there are provided` .the ordinary grill-work shelves 24 positioned on side support.`

brackets 26, in the ordinary manner. However, where the top shelf would ordinarily be, there is provided a tank 28. This tank 28, which is generally rectangular and thin, is removably supported by the same side brackets 26 as `are used to support the regular grill-work shelves.

The tank 28 may be constructed of any desirable material, although porcelain enamel is preferred, and is provided internally thereof with a series of alternatelyerranged baffles 30 and 32. The baties 30 extend from one side wall 34 to a position spaced from the opposite side wall 36; while the bafes 32 extend from Vthe side wall 36 to positions spaced from side wall 34. All the bales 30 and all the baflles 32 terminate in a common plane, as shown. This arrangement of the bales provides a tortuous path for liquid entering from an inlet opening 38 at one end of side wall 34, and flowing out from outlet opening 40 at one end of end Wall 42. The openings 38 and 40 are internally threaded to receive the threaded nipples of their respective inlet and outlet ttings.

When installed, the tank 28 rests on brackets 26 as shown in Fig. l, with a liquid inlet hose 44 extending through an opening in the rear wall of the refrigerator and having a nipple threadedly engaged within the opening 38. The hose 44 extends from a suitable source of liquid supply, not shown.

A faucet 46, having the usual type of shut-off valve 48, extends through an opening in the side wall l2 of the refrigerator, and is provided with a nipple threadedly engaged in the outlet opening 40 in the tank.

The liquid is permitted to circulate through the baffled path in the tank and is drawn olf from the faucet 46 as required, having, meanwhile, been cooled during its passage through the refrigerated tank 28.

It should be noted that the inlet and outlet openings 38 and 4) are so arranged that the tank can be installed, as shown, for right-hand refrigerators; while for left-hand refrigerators, the tank can be reversed and turned endfor-end, whereby the outlet opening 40 can be connected to a faucet on the opposite side of the refrigerator.

Although the tank has been illustrated and described above in its removable form, it may also be permanently attached in the refrigerator, if so desired.

In Fig. 2, there is shown a modification of the device wherein the refrigerator 50 is generally similar to refrigerator 10, and is provided with a tank 52, similar to tank 28. A supply hose 54 and faucet 56, similar to those shown in Fig. l, are also provided. However, the supply end of the hose 54 is connected, at 58, to an outlet opening in a supply tank 60 positioned on top of the refrigerator. The tank 60 may be permanently affixed on the refrigerator or may be removable therefrom.

The tank 6i) comprises a generally deep, rectangular container having a removable lid 62. A handle may also be provided on the lid 62, if desired.

The tank 60 may be replenished, as required, with any desired type of drinking liquid such as water, juice, sodapop, and the like.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention Vis to be determined as claimed.

Patented Aggie, 1957 Havngthus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention; what is claimed is:

A combination refrigeratorsshelf and liquid tank comprisingga` shallow fiat .tank having a flat rectangular shelf topl and 'beingrofa size to t' Within a-nd'b'e supported within a refrigerator having shelf supporting means therewithin, said tank having, a Huid inlet', a fluid outlet disposed diagonally relative to said` fluid inlet, anda. series yof bafileswithin said tank defining a tortuous uid`passage from' saidinlet to said outlet7 said inlet beingadapted to have a separate uid supply means connected'theret'o, saidoutlet being adapted to have a uid'di'scharge means connected'thereto, separable, re-

4i placeable, uid supply means comprising a fluid supply tank' to be mounted'on'the refrigeratortop, and conforming in configuration thereto, and a readily removable and replaceable conduit mounted externally of said refrigerator connecting said fluid supply tank to said shelf tank inlet, said inlet and said diagonally disposed outlet being located in substantially the same `horizontal plane to facilitate a substantially even and continuous flow of uid.

References MCited inY the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,118,910." White May 31, 1938 

